The present invention relates to a portable restroom for use by disabled individuals.
Providing portable restroom access to an individual having limited mobility has been a difficult task. This is particularly true in providing portable restroom access to an individual confined to a wheelchair. By "portable restroom" is meant a portable enclosure that contains a toilet and that may contain other features such as a handwash.
Portable restrooms conventionally include a frame and runners attached to the frame. A floor is also attached to the frame and opposes the runners. The frame also defines a cradle, adjacent to the floor, for holding a waste tank in place. The runners are typically wooden boards that support the frame. Typically, the runners have a height of at least about 3-4 inches and the frame has a height of about 3-4 inches, thereby elevating the floor about 7 inches from a ground surface.
The runners enable a portable restroom to be moved with a device such as a forklift. In particular, prongs of the forklift may be positioned between the runners. The runners also aid in moving the portable restroom for transport.
Unfortunately, the presence of the runners makes use of the portable restroom by an individual of limited mobility exceedingly difficult, if not impossible. The individual is unable to step from the ground surface to the floor of the restroom because of the height of the runners and frame and consequent elevation of the floor. Unless a ramp is provided, an individual in a wheelchair cannot access the portable restroom at all.
Some portable restrooms for use by disabled individuals are fitted with ramps in order to provide access to an individual in a wheelchair. However, the ramps have tended to be too steep or too long to provide easy access to the restroom. Additionally, attachment of the ramps to the conventional restrooms has been problematic. Because the restrooms are portable, the ramp attachment for each restroom is typically temporary. The ramp is typically attached and detached multiple times. As a consequence, the attachment may fail. If the ramp attachment fails, use of the ramp becomes dangerous for a disabled user.
Further, the use of a ramp in conjunction with a portable restroom has required individuals transporting portable restrooms to transport additional ramp and attachment components. Individuals preparing portable restrooms for use at a site must expend additional time and skill installing the ramps on the restrooms. The additional ramp and attachment components have then, been both inconvenient and inefficient.
One additional problem with providing an adequate portable restroom for the disabled individual concerns manufacture of the restroom. A conventional portable restroom has dimensions that are not suitable for use by an individual in a wheelchair. This is because the restroom must be of a size that permits the user to turn a complete circle while in a wheelchair. Conventional restrooms do not provide enough space to turn the complete circle. Further, conventional portable restrooms do not comply with federal regulations specifying restroom dimensions for the disabled.
Consequently, portable restrooms made for use by disabled individuals have typically been separately manufactured using different tools and processes. In particular, separate, large molds have been used to fabricate components for constructing a restroom that provides access to individuals in wheelchairs. Because the overall number of portable restrooms used by disabled individuals is relatively small, it has not been efficient for a restroom manufacturer to separately design and produce a different restroom for use by disabled individuals.
One additional factor that manufacturers must consider includes a body of regulations directed to specifying restroom features for accessibility. Compliance with these regulations has required restroom designs and manufacturing requirements very different from what has been used for conventional restrooms.